Printing-press.



PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

J. L. FIRM. PRINTING PRESS. APPLIUA'IFION FILED MAY 11 1902.

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ll/z inesses L D No 724,455. 'PATBNTED APR. 7, 190's;

' J. L. FIRM.

PRINTING PRESS. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1, 1902.

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No. 724,455. PATENTED APR. 7, 1903'.

J. L.- FIRM.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1902. F0 MODEL. v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

JOSEPH L. FIRM, OF- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE eoss PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,455, dated April '7, 1903.

Application filed May 1, 1902. Serial No. 105,464. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH L. FIRM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in rotary web perfecting printingpresses, and has for one of its objects the construction of a printing-press requiring less space and less expensein building for the production of the variety of its products.

'Another object of my invention is to provide a rotary printing-press capable of printing upon an extra web to form an inset without requiring a second and separate set of type and impression cylinders.

My invention relates, further, to'the improvement of printing-presses in sundry details hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Flgure l is a diagrammatic section. Fig. 2 is a top or plan View. Fig. 3 isan end view showing the longitudinal folders and part of the folding mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the sets of turning-bars. Fig. 5 is a detail, being a plan view of the gears driving the sundry cylinders. Fig. 6 is a detail, being a side view of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail, being a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, 9 indicates the framework of the press.

10 and 11 indicate form-cylinders, and 13 14impression-cylinders, which are journaled in the frame of the press and driven by the gearing hereinafter described.

15 16 indicate ink-rollers, which are also driven by the gearing hereinafter described;

17 18 19 indicate ink-fountains, which supply ink to the inking and distributing rollers 20 and which are all of the same size and con struction and need not be further described.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 32 indicate rollers around or overwhich the webs pass on their passage through the press, as hereinafter described, and which are journaled in the framework in any well-known and approved manner.

33 34 indicate longitudinal folders. The longitudinal folders are of any well-known form and description adapted to fold the web longitudinally on the run.

35 36 indicate cutting, folding, and collecting cylinders, which preferably, as shown, are of the same construction and operation as those shown in Fig. 3 and described in the specification of Letters Patent to me, No. 635,719, of October 24, 1899, and which when the web is delivered to them as hereinafter described operate in the same manner described in that patent, and therefore need no detailed description here.

The longitudinal folder 34 is provided with folding-rolls 37 38, which are of any wellknown and approved form and operate in the well-known manner to cooperate with the V- shaped former to fold the paper longitudinally on the run and which, forming no part of my presentinventiou and being well known, need not be further described.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the gearing by which the respective form, impression, and inking cylinders are driven. These gears are located upon the opposite ends of the rollers from that shown in Fig. 1. Upon the shaft of the inking-roller 16 is keyed or otherwise secured a gear 39, which meshes with an idler-gear 40 on a suitable stub-shaft. The idler-gear 40 8o meshes with a gear 41, which is keyed upon the shaft of the form-cylinder 11. The gear 41, as is best shown in Fig. 5, is of twice the thickness of the rest of the gears, for the purpose hereinafter described. 42 indicates a compound gear provided with alarger gear 43 and a smaller gear 44, which are keyed or otherwise secured, as is best shown in Fig. 7, to a sleeve 45, which is feathered upon the shaft of the impression-cylinder 14, so as to o slide to and fro thereon. The sleeve 45 is slid longitudinally on its shaft by means of a lever 46, mounted upon a bracket47, attached to the frame 9. 48 indicates a gear which is keyed or otherwise secured to the outer end 5 of the shaft of the im pression-cylinder 13 and normally,- when in the position shown in Fig. 5, meshes with thegear 43. 49 indicates a gear keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft of the form-cylinder 10. 50 indicates agear I00 which is keyed or otherwise secured upon the end of the shaft of the inking-roll 15. 51 indicates a gear which is mounted upon a suitable stub-shaft and meshes with the gears 49 and 50. 52 indicates a gear which is carried upon one end of a lever 53. The lever 53 is pivoted upon -the outer end of the shaft of the impression-cylinder 13, and the gear 52 meshes continually with the gear 48, but may be swung out of the way or down intooposition to mesh withthe gear 44, as is shown in Fig. 6, when desired and for the purpose hereinafter described. As is hereinafter set forth, for the ordinary products of the pressthat is to say, for all products except for a ten page paper-the gear 52 will be thrown up out of the Way and the gear 43 be in its outerposition, so as to mesh with gears 41 and 48. The gearing being driven from any appropriate point and in any suitable manner, the.

several form, impression, and inking cylinders will be driven through the train of gearing above described. The gears 39 41 43 48 49 50am all of the same size, whence it follows that in the position last above described the several form, inking, and impression cyl inders will all be driven at the same surface speed. When by means of the lever 53 the compound gear 42 is thrown inward upon the shaft, the gear 43 still will remain in mesh with the gear 41, which is of double thickness, as was said above, for that purpose, but will be freed from engagement with the gear 42. If the gear 52, by means of the lever 53, is thrown down so as to mesh with the gear 44,- which by the inward movement of the com pound gear 42 upon its shaft is thus brought into alinement with the gear 52, the gear 48 will be driven in the reverse direction from which it was driven before, and the gear 44 containing half as many teeth as the gear 43 the gear 48 will be driven at half the speed at which it was previously driven. This will slow down the speed of the impression-cylinder 13 and form-cylinder 10 to one-half of their previous speed. The purpose of this will be hereinafter described. I

As isshown in Fig. 2, the form-cylinders are of a size adapted to contain each eight pageforms, four abreast and four on each semicircnmference. The column-rules, as shown in the same figure in the construction of the press shown, run around the cylindersthat is to say, parallel with the run of the web.

54 55 56 57 indicate V-shaped web-turners, consisting of angle-bars whose purpose it is to turn to reverse the web, as hereinafter described, and transfer it laterally its own width for the purposes hereinafter set forth. These angle-bars are of the well-known form I and construction and operate in the wellknown way, and hence need not be further described here.

58 59 indicate turning-bars, whose function it is to transfer a portion of the slit web its own width laterally upon the other portion of the web for the purposes hereinafter set forth and which operate in the well-known and usual manner and need no further description here.

A indicates the main web ,of paper, which is supplied to the press in the usual way and which may be of single widththat is, two pages wide-0r double widththat is, four pages wide or threepages wide, according to the desired product-as hereinafter set forth. For the production of newspapers consisting of four, six, eight, twelve, or sixteen pages the course of the web A is as follows: It passes first over the rollers 21 22 between formcylinder 10 and impression-cylinder 13 in the direction indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 1, the said cylinders rotating in the direction indicated by" dotted arrows thereon. The web is thus printed upon one side. It then passes under and partially around impression-cylinder 13, form-cylinder14, and formcylinder 11, which run in the direction indicated by solid arrows thereon. The web is here printed upon the other side. It then passes down under roller 60, against which, if the web be more than two pages in width,

'it is slit by the slitter 61 of the well-known form and description. It then passes out between angle bars 58 59 without passing around them, under rollers 62, and between tapes 63 64, which are carried, respectively, by rollers 62, 65,, 66, and 31, and between rollers 31 32 and down over the longitudinal folding mechanism. The above indicates the general course of the web for all of the abovementioned products through the press. In making four-page papers the web will preferably be used of double widththat is, four pages wide. The form-cylinders 10 and 11 will carry forms which will be duplicates of each other upon each semicireumference and duplicates of each other upon each longitudinal half of each form-cylinderthat is to say, they will carry the matter for four papers of four pages each. The web, pursuing the course last above described, will be centrally slit by the slitter 61, and each half will pass over its respective former 33 34, where they will be folded longitudinally,- severed transversely between the successive margins, and delivered in any well-known and approved fashion, said delivery, as said above, forming specifically no part of my present inventiou. The press will thus produce simultaneously two copies of a four-page pa per andwill produce with each revolution of the form-cylinders four copies of a paper. To print a six-page paper, the web A will be three pages wide, in which case the plates will be omitted from one end of the form-cylcylinders, as last above described, is perfectforms upon each semicircumference of the respective form-cylinders will be duplicates; but the matter upon one longitudinal half of said form-cylinders will contain the matter for one-half of the eight-page paper and the matter upon the other longitudinal half the matter for the other half of said paper. The web passing around the form and impression ed and slit centrally by theslitter 61. Onehalf of the longitudinally-slit web is passed page paper, two six-page portions are formed,

in the manner above described for printing six-page papers, except that instead of having the forms upon each semicircumference of the respective form-cylinders duplicates of each other the forms upon one semicircnmference will contain the matter for one six-page section of a twelve-page paper and the forms upon the other semicircumference the matter for the next six-page section of a twelve-page paper, which will immediately -follow the first section through the press.

These succeeding sections are superposed upon one another by the cutting, collecting, and folding cylinders 35 36 in the same manner as described in my Letters Patent above referred to, thus producing with each revolution of the press a single copy of a twelvepage paper consisting of two six-page sec tions collected upon one another. To make a sixteen -'page paper, the process will be the same as that for making an eight-page paper, except that instead of having the forms upon each semicircumference of the respective form-cylinders duplicates of each other the forms upon one semicircumference will contain the matter for one eightpage half and upon the other semicircum:

ference the matter for the other eight-page half of a sixteenpage paper. One eightpage section immediately follows the other in the press, where, passing down over the longitudinal folding mechanism, the two sections are collected in the manner described in Letters Patent to me above referred to, thus pro: ducing with each revolution of the formcylinders a single copy ofasixteen-ipagepa-i thickness gear 41, above described.

per consisting of two eight-page sections, collected as above described. To make a tenpage paper, the peculiar mechanism above set forth is used. The compound gear 42 is moved inward, as above described, so asto throw the gear 43 out of mesh with the gear 48, but keeping it in mesh with the double- The gear 52 is then swung down into position to mesh with the gear 42. The result of this, as above described, is to reverse the previously described motion of the impression-cylinder 13 and to slow it down to one-half the speed,

The impresion cylinder 13 and form cylinder 10 thereupon'are rotated in the direction shown by the solid arrows in Fig. 1. The form and impression cylinders 10 and Bare now moving at one-half the surface speed-of the form and impression cylinders-l1 and 14.

The web A will.be of single width-that is,

two pages wide. The eight-page forms upon form cylinder 11 will have the matter adapted to print one side of the web upon the forms which are located upon the farther longitudinal half of said form-cylinder seen from Fig. lthat.is to say, uponv the side away from-the folders 33-and the matter adapted to print the other side of the web will be upon the other longitudinal half of said form-cylinder. The forms upon the two semicircumferences of said form-cylinder will not be in duplicate, but one semieircumferencewill contain the forms adapted to print one four-page section of an eightpage paper and the other semicircumference will contain the forms adapted to print the other four pages of an eight-page paper, the two sections followingeach other, to be collected as hereinafter described. The web A, which, as is said above, is two pages in width, passes over rollers 21 22 23, between form and impression cylinders 11 and and 14, where it is printed upon one side. It then passes under roller 28, the slitter 61 being removed, and over the turning-bars 54 55, where it is shifted laterally its own width, as shown in Fig. 4. It then passes backward under roller 29, over impressioncylinder 14, and'again between impressioncylinder 14 and form cylinder 11 where, being shifted its own width laterally, it is printed upon the other side by the forms cylinder 10 will contain only two page-forms abreast, the pages lying side by side containing the matter for printing opposite sides of the web and the pages upon each.semicir under roller 26 in registry with the page-forms upon form-cylinder 10, which are side by side with the page-forms which have printed the first side. The web, being transferred laterally its own width, is printed upon its second side by this second set of page-forms side by side with the first set while making its second journey between form-cylinder 10 and impression-cylinder 13. This web B on account of the slow-down speed of the form and impression cylinders 10 and 13, as above de-' scribed, is traveling at one-half the speed of the web A. After being perfected the web B passes downward between cutting-cylinders 67 68, where it is severed transversely on every successive transverse margin. The web then passes down around the cutting-cylinder 68, from which it is stripped by a stripper 69 and is engaged by tapes 70, which are carried by sets of pulleys 71 72, which'move at the same surface speed as that at which the web B has heretofore moved. 1

73 indicates tapes which are carried by pulleys 74 75 and which move at the same surface speed as that at which the web A travels-that is to say, at double the surface speed of the web B. 76 indicates coacting tapes which pass around pulleys 77 78 and move at the same surface speed as the tapes 73 and coact with them. The severed sheet .from the web B, entering from the slower between the successive single leaves or twopage sheets thus printed and severed from the web B.

79 indicates a cam-roller, which may be arranged to coiiperate with another roller 80 to insure accuracy of the surface speed of the severed sheet and to deliver it to the first web in proper registry and at the same surface speed. This cam-roller may be of any well-known form and construction and need not be further described, as it forms no part of my present invention. The severed sheet thus speeded and separated from its succeeding sheet passes between tapes 81 82. The tapes 81 pass around pulleys 75 and 83 and the tapes 82 around pulleys 84, over pulleys 85, and around pulleys or rollers 66. The speeded sheet, passing between the tapes 81 and 82, is delivered to the first four-page section of the web B at proper surface speed and in proper registry. The web A in the meanwhile has been pasted upon its under side by a paster 86, operating in the wellknown fashion, which distributes paste along the central margin of the web, and when the web is brought into registry with the severed sheet of web B the insert is pasted upon the under side of said web B. The first section of the ten-page paper thus produced, consisting of the first four-page portion produced from web A and of the two-page section produced from web B, thus associated together pass upward between the tapes 63 64, between the rollers 31 32, and down over the folder, where they are folded longitudinally. The cutting and collecting cylinders 35 36 thereupon sever the folded web A transversely upon every successive margin, and, operating in the manner described in my Letters Patent above mentioned, collect upon the first sixpage section, produced as above described, the second four-page section, thus producing a ten-page paper consisting of, one sixpage and one four-page section collected together. These sections thus collected are folded and delivered in the manner described in my Letters Patent above mentioned.

I have shown at the left-hand end of Fig. 1 two ink-fountains 17 18. It is of course understood that only oneof these fountains will be used at a time, the other being thrown out. The fountain 17 will be used when the form-cylinder 10 is rotating in the direction shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 1--that is, when a ten-page paper is being made, as above described. When the form-cylinder 10 is rotated in the direction shown by the dotted arrow, however, the inking-cylinder 15 being then turned in the opposite direction from what it was before, the ink-fountain 18 will be used.

I have shown and described my invention as applied to a press in which the form-cylinders are adapted to have the columns run around the cylinder-that is to say, with the column-rules in the direction of the run of the web-and have shown the appropriate folding apparatus for such purpose. I do not,however, confine my invention to a press of this description, as it is obvious that it could be applied to a press in which the column-rules too run longitudinally of the cylinder-that is,

transversely of the run of the web-without departing from the spirit of my invention.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a printing-press,the combination with two printing-couples, consisting each of one form-cylinder and one impression-cylinder, of mechanism adapted to drive both printing-couples at the same speed, whereby one web of paper may be run through both printing-couples and perfected, and adapted also to be shifted to drive one printing-couple at a slower rate of speed than the other, means for leading a main web to the one of said couples driven at the original speed to print one side of said web on one end ofthe formcylinder, means for shifting said web laterally and loading it to the same printing-couple to perfect the other side of said web, means for leading a second insert-web to the sloweddown printing-couple to print one side of said insert-web on one part of the form-cylinder,

and means for shifting said insert-webrlaterw ally and leading it back to said slowed-down printing-couple to print the other side of said web on another part of said form-cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a printing-press,the combination with two printing-couples, consisting each of one form-cylinder and .one impression-cylinder, of mechanism adapted to drive bothprinting-couples at the same speed, whereby one web of paper may be run through both printing-couples and perfected, and adapted also to be shifted to drive one printing-couple at a slower rate'of speed than the other, means for leading a main web to the one of said couples driven at the original speed to print one side of said web on one end of the formcylinder, means for shifting said web laterally and leading it to thesame printing-couple to perfect the other side of said web, means for leading a second insert-Web to the slowedfor severing said insert-web on every trans- 3o verse margin, and means for associating said severed sheet with the perfected product of said main web, substantially as described.

JOSEPH L. FIRM.

Witnesses:

(J. E. PICKARD, HELEN M; COLLIN. 

